“Do you know," Peter asked, "why swallows build in the eaves of houses? It is to listen to the stories.” ~ J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan

8.18.2008

When in doubt, look down

It is a grey dreary day. A dirty-grey dusty dreary day. So oh-uninspiring. So ugly. Not a wonderful grey like I imagine Seattle or London to be. This is that grey like Mexico City was a few years ago when I visited - when I had to scrub the soot out from under my fingernails every few hours. I was walking around outside thinking, thinking, thinking, thinking - camera in hand, ugly grey sky overhead, ugly not-yet-renovated downtown buildings surrounding me. Waiting for the outsideness to inspire me, because my insideness had nothing. I looked down as I headed around to the back door & there in the pavement (more pavement art!) was a little concrete bird. I took a couple of photos before noticing the nest sitting just a few inches to the left. Perfectly lined up. I reached out with my left big toe, scooched the little nest over where it so obviously belonged and there it was. Inspiration. A perfect melding of outside forces & inside forces.